THE BATTLE OF KADESH IN 1274 B.C.E: It was a
long time ago, 3,289 years ago, but it was a glorious time, ushered by a military
genius and innovator: RAMSES II, PHARAOH OF EGYPT.
PRELUDE XIX DYNASTY (RAMESSIDES)
SETI I (Ramses II father).
Upon coming to power, PHAROAH SETI I adopted an
aggressive campaign to recover Egypt's dominance in the northernmost areas. He
successfully drove out desert tribes in Palestine, securing the area under
Egyptian influence as a prelude to his final act. Seti I knew that the key to
regaining control of Amurru in Syria was in an area called the Eleutheros
Valley. This area north of the Lebanon range was a vitally important line of
communication between northeast Syria and the entire Mediterranean coast. When
Egypt utilized this area, which nominally sided with them prior to the Hittite
invasion, Egyptian armies could move easily from the coast inland without
having to march through rough terrain. It also allowed more possibility to
expand westward. This area was indeed a strategic gold mine, and within this
gold mine was the city of Kadesh on the Orontes River. Seti I first fought the
Hittites directly in Kadesh. A depiction of Seti I attacking Kadesh is on the
exterior of Hypostyle Hall in Karnak. Sety I approaches the heavy fortification
in a chariot, while small Hittites are hit by a barrage of arrows. On a basalt
stella found in Tell Nebi Mandu, near Kadesh, Sety I stands before a row of
four deities dressed in Syrian garb. The craftsmanship of the stella is poor,
as if it was made immediately after the capture of Kadesh, as a dedication
before he hastily departed (Brand 120). Kadesh and Amurru both returned to the
Hittite fold shortly after Seti's invasion. Although he showed much ambition to
regaining control of Syria, he failed in his commitment. The apparently hasty
departure of the Egyptian armies from Amurru and Kadesh were an invitation for
the Hittites. Sety I finally agreed that Egypt would not expand influence into
Kadesh and Amurru; the Hittites agreed that Egypt could keep Canaan and the
city of Upi (Shaw 52). The story of the border disputes between the two empires
could have ended there, if not for Sety's successor. Sety I ruled for ten years
before giving his throne up to his son, one of the most famous pharaohs in the
history of Egypt.
Seti I with Maggii - Royal Body Guards
THUS THE STORM BEGINS.
Ramses began to take initiative in the fourth year
of his reign (c. 1275 B.C.E.). He moved north through the
mountains and attacked Amurru, destroying the agreement that his father had
made. He re-established the Egyptian influence there rather easily by forcing
Prince Benteshina to sign a vassal treaty. When it became appartent that
Ramses II was set on war, Muwatallish arranged a massive army, calling in men
from some sixteen provinces of the Hittite Empire. These include men from:
Nahrin, Arzawa, Keshkesh, Masa, Pidasa, Arwen, Karkisha, Luka, Kizzuwanda,
Carchemish, Ugarit, Kedy, the entire land of Nukhashshe, Mushanet, Kadesh. Ramses
II led an expedition into Asia to achieve what his father had failed to do. He
divided the powerful Egyptian army up into four forces: the Amun Division,
which Ramses II himself led, the Re Division, the Ptah Division, and the
Sutekh Division. It is thought that the Ptah or Sutekh Division was ordered to
mobilize Egypt's local and foreign allies and then join them at Kadesh.
Included among the Egyptian armies were Nubians, Libyans, and Canaanites (Shaw
28). Both these regiments remained followed at a distance away from the Amun
and Re Corps. Ramses II probably did not know the position of the Hittite
army, but he knew that taking control of Kadesh would be the best chance to
stage an invasion into the northern territories taken by the Hittites
The Egyptian Empire and the Hittite Empire in 1274
BCE.
At stake was Kadesh, a fortress town in Syria that
guarded the trade routes to the east (the Egyptians, and probably, the Hittites
imported silk from China). Seti I, Ramses father, had captured the city, but
when he returned to Egypt, the Hittites recaptured it
Destined to fight...the 2 armies met at Kadesh (A
town in present day Syria). In 1285 BC, there were two superpowers in the ancient
Near East, Egypt in the south and the Hatti, or Hittites, in Asia Minor to the
north. Each wanted to play a leading role in the area and secure its influence
in the regions between their countries, such as Syria and Palestine. The two
superpowers finally clashed in the Battle
of Kadesh.
The Egyptians and Hittites challenged one another
for control of the eastern Mediterranean. The Hittites had iron weapons, the
Egyptians didn’t. In 1288 B.C., the fifth year of his reign, Ramses and his
young sons mounted chariots and led an army of 20,000 men---a huge number at
that time---to Syria for a "superpower showdown" against the Hittite
King Muwatalli II, whose force numbered 70,000.
The armies of these two empires were both powerful
and massive. Ramses II stood in command of all Egyptian forces, and beneath
him were two chief deputy corp commanders. Under them were the generals who
commanded divisions, each consisting of 5,000 men. This would have placed the
Egyptian force at Kadesh at 20,000 (Shaw 27). The Egyptian army consisted of
volunteers who were highly motivated to fight. Each charioteer paid for his own
chariot and weapons, and so the chariotry consisted of the richest members of
society. Poorer citizens served as foot soldiers, if not to simply participate
in battles, then to gain social rewards which were offered to all those who
served. Egyptian soldiers earned more prestige than priests and scholars.
Archaeological evidence shows that the primary Egyptian weapons were the
composite bows and khopesh swords. Ramses II, like his father before him, was
an excellent archer, and is shown with his bow in a chariot in almost all
depictions of him in battle. Egyptian soldiers used the composite bows because
they were so easy to carry and very accurate in the right hands, for up to
three-hundred yards. The khopesh sword was slashing weapon wielded only by
skilled warriors for use in close combat, and from which the Greeks probably
derived their kopis that are so prominently depicted on 5th century Greek pottery
(Oakeshott 49). A relief from the temple of Ramses II at Abydos illustrates
these soldiers along with charioteers.
King Muwatalli II
The Hittite King Muwatalli came into power in 1308
B.C. He was more concerned with simply defending the lands of the Hittite
Empire than expanding his borders. He administered a quick western campaign to
settle down the trouble on the western side of the empire (Macqueen 48). This
assured loyalty of the neighboring vassal states, and warranted that they would
serve under the Hittites in the inevitable clash against the Egyptian armies.
In the greatest time of need, all Hittite forces could concentrate on the
southern end of the empire as Egypt began to advance.
Few single battles in the history have determined who
was the most powerful empire in the known world; the Battle of Kadesh was one.
In the period from 2000 B.C. to 1200 B.C. the indisputable most powerful
civilizations in the known world were the Egyptians, the Hittites, and the
Assyrians. Secondary players in the same region were Amurru, a kingdom of
united lands in coastal and central Syria; Canaan, the coastal land south of
the Orontes River; the Hurrians of Mitanni in the east; and Babylonia.
Whichever empire could gain favorable relations with them or could control them
would have a major advantage over the others. As rapid expansion of all three
civilizations came to a head, there emerged border disputes. All eyes
eventually turned to the narrow strip of land that connected Asia, Europe, and
Africa, where civilizations incorporated the rich networks of trade and,
influence.
Young Pharoah RAMSES II with his tamed lion.
The Battle of Kadesh is the most thoroughly
documented military engagement of ancient times in the Middle East with both
antagonists claiming a decisive victory. The Battle of Kadesh is believed to
have ended in a draw. The Battle of Kadesh has been fought in Syria at the end
of May 1300 (or 1286 or 1275) B.C.E. between
Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II and the Hittites under King Muwatalli II.
Ramses II forces consisted of 4 divisions named RA,
PTAH, SETH, and AMUN. Each division comprised 5500 infantry and 500 chariots.
In all the Egyptians had 22 000 infantry and 2000 chariots, while the Hittites
had a superior force of 50,000 infantry and 3100 chariots.
The army crossed Canaan, or Palestine, and
Phoenicia, or Lebanon, until it came to the hills south of Kadesh on the
Orontes River.
At first, it looked like a Hittite victory
The actual number of the Hittie chariotry force is
debated. The Poem and other Egyptian accounts cite that the initial attack
consisted of 2,500 chariots. If that were so, the battle might have been over
immediately; but instead the Re Division was simply broken up. Also, it is said
that Muwatallish dispatched 1,000 more chariots at a later point in the battle.
This leads one to believe that the actual force may have consisted of 1,500 or
less. Whatever the numbers, this unit of Hittite chariotry, consisting of men
from Arzawa, Masa, and Pidasa, now had a significant tactical advantage. They
also cut off the commander and two divisions from the rest of the armies. While
the Ptah Division was marching north, unaware of the disaster, the Hittites
were in a position to destroy each division of the Egyptian army one by one. An
Egyptian relief shows this attack on the Amun camp. Fallen horses and injured
or dead Egyptian soldiers adorn the relief. Pharaoh's tent is in the center as
Hittites, depicted in long kilts and helmets, are going through and killing the
ranks on one side of the camp. ". . . whereas there was no high officer
with me, no charioteer, no soldier of the army, no shield-bearer, my infantry
and my chariotry scampering away before them, and not one of them stood firm to
fight with them" (Poem 85 – 90). The Egyptian army under Ramses II was
surely about to be annihilated, but luck takes a part in any battle.
Knowledge of the Hittite army of this period is
greatly indebted to Egyptian reliefs. The driving force behind the Hittite army
was the heavy chariot force. Consisting of a wooden frame covered with leather
mounted on a wide axle with wooden six-spoked wheels, the Hittite chariot
structure was similar to those of the Egyptians. The procedure for a Hittite assault
involved putting the massive chariot force at the front of the attack force,
then sending the infantry in to clean up what was left of the scattered
enemies. During the time of Sety I, reliefs depict Hittite chariots with two
men, one wielding a bow, the other a figure-eight shaped shield, presumably
driving. Between the time of Sety I and Ramses II a third man was added to
the chariot. In the Abydos temple of Ramses II, there are reliefs of these
Hittite chariots heading into battle. In the relief, the third warrior has a
large lance, seven to eight feet long. All three soldiers have a helmet that
leaves the front of the scalp bare. Hittite chariot personnel also are shown
wearing a garment reaching down to their elbows and ankles. This has been presumed
to be scale armor. The skirt is either wrapped or has a large slit for mobility.
Iron weapons also gave the Hittites a great advantage over the bronze weapons
of Egypt, having developed the iron-smelting technique. Unfortunately, not many
iron weapons have been recovered, due to the inefficiency of their technique.
Though the Hittites had a large infantry, their use was secondary to the first
offense of chariots, with great destructive potential. At the time of Kadesh,
Muwatalli was said to possess a force of 2,500 heavy chariots for this battle,
and three divisions of 18,000 and 19,000 men.
The Poem and other Egyptian accounts cite that the
initial attack consisted of 2,500 chariots. If that were so, the battle might
have been over immediately; but instead the Re Division was simply broken up.
Also, it is said that Muwatallish dispatched 1,000 more chariots at a later
point in the battle. This leads one to believe that the actual force may have
consisted of 1,500 or less. Whatever the numbers, this unit of Hittite
chariotry, consisting of men from Arzawa, Masa, and Pidasa. They also cut off
the commander and two divisions from the rest of the armies. While the Ptah
Division was marching north, unaware of the disaster, the Hittites were in a
position to destroy each division of the Egyptian army one by one. An Egyptian
relief shows this attack on the Amun camp. Fallen horses and injured or dead
Egyptian soldiers adorn the relief. Pharaoh's tent is in the center as
Hittites, depicted in long kilts and helmets, are going through and killing the
ranks on one side of the camp. ". . . whereas there was no high officer
with me, no charioteer, no soldier of the army, no shield-bearer, my infantry
and my chariotry scampering away before them, and not one of them stood firm to
fight with them" (Poem 85 – 90). The Egyptian army under Ramses II was
surely about to be annihilated, but luck takes a part in any battle.
The Hittite Chariot heavier with 3 men: driver,
lancer, archer....effective but less maneuverable.....Notice the four spokes wheel.
The Egyptian Chariot much
lighter with only 2 men: driver, archer was more maneuverable and faster. Egyptians made the wheel a SIX SPOKES
Egyptian chariots are characterized by widely spaced
wheels on an axel set at the back of the cab, making them light and
maneuverable for the two horses to pull. A saddle sat on the horses' withers,
made in an inverted padded U shape with a tail like a Y which attached to the
yoke ends.
The Amun division followed the king, accompanied by
his bodyguards only, while the other three divisions were very far behind. The
Hittites tried to trick Ramses by sending two Bedouins to lie about the
enemy's army and its allies, which, they declared, were still far away near
Khaleb, or Aleppo, in northern Syria. In fact, the enemy was hiding on the
other side of the river, not far from the royal camp. However, Egyptian
soldiers seized two Hittite spies and beat them until they confessed that the
Hittite army was hiding not far behind Kadesh, ready for the attack. Suddenly,
the enemy surrounded Ramses' camp and attacked, taking him and his bodyguards
by surprise.
Ramses II,
young, ambitious and fearless commanded personally the AMUN division.
The tired Egyptian soldiers were not prepared for
the battle and three army divisions were absent. A total defeat for the king
and the Egyptian army was expected. Muwatalli II had sent the force to test the
strength of the armies of Egypt. The Egyptian RA Division was surprised by a
small Hittite chariot force that had just forded the Orontes River. The chariot
force chased after the scattered Re Division, straight into the Amun military
camp. This Hittite force now had a chance to destroy Ramesses II himself. A
distressed Re Division dashed into the Amun camp and created confusion among
their fellow soldiers. The Hittites followed closely behind and surrounded the
camp. They closed the circle inward, dispelling the unprepared soldiers from
the tents. Ramses II watched his plans to control his Kadesh fall apart
around him as his enemies closed in. How did it come down to this? Unmanned
chariots are lined up, soldiers tend to the horses, and archers string their
bows. The entire Hittite army was camped across the river. The deserters were
actually spies. Muwatallish was now mobilizing forces near the thick vegetation
around Kadesh. When scouts returned with Hittite prisoner, they revealed the
position of the entire Hittite force, right across the river. That night, aware
of the impending danger that he was now in, Ramses dispatched soldiers to
bring the Ptah and Re Corps to his aid.
The AMUN and RA divisions engaged the
Hittites....The SETH was slow & disorganized & started to break away,
but rallied when the PTAH, which had taken the longer route along the coast,
arrived and attacked, just in time.....
The next morning, Muwatallish did not waste any time
and sent a chariot force across the river on the eastern side of Kadesh. The Re
Division had just crossed the river and was hastening toward the Amun camp to
aid the Pharaoh. Muwatallish probably anticipated this meeting, but not its
great success. The Re Division was ambushed, and panicked. "They attacked
the army of Re in its center while it was marching unsuspecting and not ready
for battle," the poem goes (Poem 120-130). As the remaining warriors and
chariots of the broken Egyptian force scurried to the encampment of the Amun
Corps, the Hittite chariotry took advantage of the situation and followed them.
Now, as the remnants of the panicked Re Corps created confusion in the camp,
Muwatallish sent another 1,000 chariots to reinforce the pursuers, who then put
into use the tactic of swift encirclement. Hittites surrounded the encampment
on all sides, then closed in.
The Hittite soldiers fought without pay to fulfill a
feudal obligation or to get rich from the spoils of war (Macqueen 59). The only
payment they received was whatever they were able to plunder in battle, and
sometimes this was a great incentive to fight. It seems that Hittite soldiers
in the assault were lured to riches inside the tents and on the dead, and
initiative was lost. In their greedy rampage, they missed a chance to capture
or kill Ramses II, his family, and the highest-ranking nobles of Egypt. They
could have also destroyed all the unmanned chariots and other equipment in the
camp to prevent a counter-attack.
Remaining Egyptian soldiers, now more scattered and
unorganized than before, were able to detain the looters until reinforcements
could arrive. Suddenly, reinforcements came from the east in the form of a
single regiment. The Egyptians were now able to overcome the surprised Hittite
plunderers (Ceram 176). "Ramses the Great" owes his life to them.
There is dispute on exactly who these saviors were, because there is only one
mention of them made in Egyptian records. Some people believe this force to
have originated in Amurru, which Ramses had previously conquered and fostered
support (Kitchen 60). Others believe them to be Canaanites or even the Seth
Division, which should have been far to the south at this point. The poet that
recorded the battle attributed the king's counter-attack to divine
intervention. Gathering whatever chariots and men he could, Ramses and his
bodyguards charged through the Hittite force
It is recorded in the Egyptian accounts of the battle
that the King, who found himself surrounded by the enemy, prayed to Amun-Re for
help while fighting valiantly. He was rescued from being killed, thanks to his
courage and some troops of Egyptian cadets, called Naaruna.
Stationed in the Land of Amor, they came from the
rear of the Hittites, causing confusion in their lines. Many Hittite fighters
were killed, wounded, or drowned. The rest of the enemy prayed for peace and
fled to the fortress of Kadesh, which was surrounded by water. Even after the
battle, the two superpowers were almost equally strong.
Mystery
What is still mystery is what Muwatallish was
thinking when he did not send his large infantry to support his ruined chariot
force. If he had not failed to do this, the Hittites might have won the
greatest victory of the ancient world by destroying three quarters of the
powerful Egyptian army. Instead of supporting his fleeing chariot force, he
held back his infantry. As night fell, Muwatallish decided to cut his losses
and retreated his forces back into Kadesh from the Egyptian battlefield.
Today's fighting was over, and no great victory was accomplished, but rather a
stalemate.
Ramses looked to his own armies in rage,
considering their "weakness" an act of treason. Muwatallish watched
as he supposedly killed his own men on the bank of the Orontes. Ramses now
knew that his goal of conquest was not going to be achieved. Ramses received
a message from the prince of Hatti as he began to retreat (Poem 300 - 330).
According to the poet, Ramses the Great, the commander endowed with godly
power, having just slaughtered the Hittite army now sought diplomacy with those
whom he just defeated.
AFTER THE BATTLE, RAMSES II EXECUTED THE COMMANDER
OF THE SETH
The Hittites allowed Ramses and his army to
retreat honorably while Kadesh remained in the Hittite sphere of influence. As
Ramses led his army away, Muwatallish moved south instead of back north. He
overwhelmed formerly Egyptian Kumidi, then down into Damascus, eventually to
occupy all of the province of Upi. He then turned back northward, leaving his
brother Hattusilis in charge of the new areas (Kitchen 63). Either Ramses was
powerless to stop these incursions or he had agreed to their delivery. Either
way, for it to have come to this meant that Ramses was not a decisive victor
at the Battle of Kadesh.
King Muwatalli could stand the bloodshed no longer,
and probably realizing that neither side could win the battle, he sent a letter
pleading for peace saying:
"Do not
be hard in your actions, victorious king, peace is better than fighting, give
us time to breathe."
Negotiations
were entered into, with King Muwatallis wanting a peace treaty but Ramses
would have none of it and only agreed to sign a truce. Ramses's megalomania
saw this stand off between the two nations as a personal victory and returned
home to have his dubious victory commemorated. The battle was re-enacted in
relief carvings on all Egypt's major monuments.
Bas-Relief
The Battle of Kadesh was recorded in texts and
illustrations in eight separate versions located in the temples of Karnak,
Luxor, the Ramesseum, and Abydos.
A shorter version was recorded in the temple of Abu
Simbel. Another version, known as the Poem of Pentawer, was written on a
papyrus, now shared by the British Museum in London and the Louvre in Paris.
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Conclusion
The battle is recorded in Egyptian annals as a great
victory, but the truth is that it was a draw.... Ramses has the distinction of
ending the battle in a draw in spite of his long supply line … However; it led
to the first recorded peace agreement in
the world between 2 nations: the Egyptian Empire and the Hittite Empire (the
frontiers having been agreed to).
Few single battles in the history have determined
who was the most powerful empire in the known world; the Battle of Kadesh was
one. In the period from 2000 B.C. to 1200 B.C. the indisputable most powerful
civilizations in the known world were the Egyptians, the Hittites, and the
Assyrians. Secondary players in the same region were Amurru, a kingdom of
united lands in coastal and central Syria; Canaan, the coastal land south of
the Orontes River; the Hurrians of Mitanni in the east; and Babylonia.
Whichever empire could gain favorable relations with them or could control them
would have a major advantage over the others. As rapid expansion of all three
civilizations came to a head, there emerged border disputes. All eyes
eventually turned to the narrow strip of land that connected Asia, Europe, and
Africa, where civilizations incorporated the rich networks of trade and,
influence.
Epilogue
Rameses II
ruled for sixty-seven years, and proved to be the most industrious builder and
most ambitious pharaoh that ever ruled Egypt. Great new constructions were
raised in Memphis, Thebes, Hermopolis, and Nubia. Many complexes from the days
of religious reformer Akhenaten were reconstructed in the name of Ramses II
(Aldred 190). Because most complexes were temples, Ramses II had his name
superimposed over the names on the cartouches of former kings. He also found
many unfinished statues of Amenhotep III in the temple of Luxor and had them
completed in his image (Aldred 191). One large temple is found in Abu Simbel on
the eastern bank of the Nile. It is recognized for its four large seated king
statues on its facade, over sixty-five feet high. The sunken reliefs of the
interior of the temple are topographical details of the Battle of Kadesh, which
present half of the whole story of the battle. Ramses may have introduced
some coarse and hasty work, thought to be the effect of the Pharaoh's ambitions
outrunning his resources. Could this fault have manifested in his dreams of
conquest as well?
On the west
face of a pylon in the Ramesseum in Thebes, many reliefs depict the battle.
First, there is a representation of the Egyptian Amun camp on the Orontes
River. Unmanned chariots are lined up, soldiers tend to the horses, and archers
string their bows. The entire Hittite army was camped across the river. The
deserters were actually spies. Muwatallish was now mobilizing forces near the
thick vegetation around Kadesh. When scouts returned with Hittite prisoner,
they revealed the position of the entire Hittite force, right across the river.
That night, aware of the impending danger that he was now in, Ramses
dispatched soldiers to bring the Ptah and Re Corps to his aid.
It is plausible to
assume that Ramses had actually hit his first tactical move. He attacked the
Hittite front along the river where it was the weakest, penetrating the
encirclement and securing his back. Many scholars recognize this as a
counter-attack. The reliefs on the Ramssium show Ramses alone in his chariot
firing arrows at the Hittites. Soldiers and horses lay dead at the feet of the
larger-than-life pharaoh.
Ramses II Mummy (5' 8" & red hair) Cairo Museum
Commentary on Hittites
Hattusilis III, supreme commander of the army camp
and chariot forces of the Hittites and Muwatallish's brother, is thought to
have conspired against his brother at the battle with the ruler of Amurru, under
Egyptian control at the time (Ceram 187). After the battle, however, the Amurru
king Benteshina, turned his allegiance to the Hittites. Perhaps dealings with
Hattusilis had influenced this decision. This is also further proof that the
Hittites were victorious in this battle; it is not logical that an ally of the
victorious empire would change sides to the beaten.
Though Muwatallish had halted Egyptian expansion and
defined a peaceful border of the Hittite Empire, this battle had serious
consequences for the Hittites. While Hittites had been concentrating on
Egyptian affairs, they were hardly prepared when Assyria defeated Mitanni to
the east making it an Assyrian vassal state. No longer had the Hittites a
buffer against Assyrian aggression. Muwatallish died about one year after the
Battle of Kadesh. His son, Urkhi-Teshub, succeeded him. After taking one too
many territories away from his uncle, supreme commander Hattusilis III declared
war on the young king. They competed for power as western lands took advantage
of internal disputes and declared independence from Hittite control (Macqueen
49). For his seven year rule, Urkhi-Teshub was more interested in keeping his
position than keeping his empire, as the Assyrians pressed against the
Euphrates. Perhaps Urkhi-Teshub was so set against his uncle coming to the
throne because of his uncle's alleged treason in the Battle of Kadesh.
Hattusilis
III finally took over the throne and exiled the son of Muwatallish, who was
very unpopular at the time. When Hattusilis evaluated the condition of his
empire and that of Assyria, he became increasingly friendly with Egypt. In the
twenty-first year of Ramses' reign, ca. 1259, Hattusilis and Ramses CREATED A DIPLOMATIC TREATY, THE FIRST DOCUMENT OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD. Hattusilis sealed this
deal by marrying his daughter to Ramses. It contained four important
conditions:
Peace Treaty
1) The
continuation of the treaty concluded between Ramses and Muwatallish,
concerning non-aggression.
2) Mutual
assistance in the form of military aid.
3) Security
in the problem of Hattusilis' succession
4) Mutual
extradition of fugitives.
This pact,
reflected in the reliefs of Abu Simbel, gave the people of the Near East the
great accomplishment of nearly seventy years of peace. The remaining annals of
Hattusilis describe necessary military action in the west. The exiled
Urkhi-Teshub supposedly influenced Babylonia in a way as to strain their
relations with the Hittites, then proceeded to incite the Assyrians to lay
assault to the Hittite capital. After this happened, Hattusilis moved his
exiled nephew to an island, probably Cyprus (Gurney 37). Slowly, the Hittite
Empire was declining and weakening. The greatest threat the Mediterranean had
ever seen came in the form of massive expedition of the Sea Peoples, from whom
no one, Greek, Egyptian, or Hittite, was safe. The Hittite Empire was destroyed
by the Sea People in 1200 B.C. (Hitti 156). The capital of the Hittite Empire
was sacked and burned.
The Battle of
Kadesh is truly the mother of all battles, in every sense. Fought on the banks
of the Orontes River in Syria, this is the earliest battle of which true
military tactics are known. Pharoah Ramesses II led an army of 20,000 men in an
attempt to maintain his crumbling empire. Muwatallish, the Hittite king, had
set an ambush for the Egyptians, sending about 2,500 chariots, each holding
three men.
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Please click on this video. It contains a detailed description of the tactical plan, commentaries by historians & military analysts ... and lost opportunities.
Ramses was
having many problems of his own. Part of the reason for his hasty retreat after
Kadesh was probably the sore condition of his own territories. All of Canaan
flared into a revolt shortly after the battle, seeing that the mighty Egyptian
Empire could be beaten, that the strong armies of Egypt were not infallible as
they had feared (Redford 185). Soon the Egyptian Empire could barely lay claim
to anything beyond the Sinai Peninsula; although in year eight of his reign,
three years after Kadesh, Ramses did lead an army into the northern coastal
area at Tripolis (Schmidt 174). A few years after that he made a treaty with
Muwattalish, which is cited in a later document. It was basically a statement
of non-aggression, so that the Muwatallish could concentrate on Assyria and
Ramses could concentrate on his own empire (Schmidt 115).
TREATY
A replica of a treaty dating from 1269 B.C. -- the
earliest peace treaty whose text is known to have survived -- was presented to
Secretary-General U Thant, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Ihsan
Sabri Caglayangil.
The replica -- a gift from the Government and people
of Turkey to the United Nations -- is of the original treaty signed by
Hattusillis III, King of the Hittites, and Ramses II, King of the Egyptians
Hattusilis
III finally took over the throne and exiled the son of Muwatallish, who was
very unpopular at the time. When Hattusilis evaluated the condition of his
empire and that of Assyria, he became increasingly friendly with Egypt. In the
twenty-first year of Ramses' reign, ca. 1259, Hattusilis and Ramses created
a diplomatic treaty, the first document of its kind. Hattusilis sealed this
deal by marrying his daughter to Ramses. It contained four important
conditions:
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THE BATTLE OF KADESH
Three events occurred that would change the situation
between the two nations forever:
1. The
first being the death of king Muwatallis, occurring in year 8-9 of Ramses's
reign. His death led to a power struggle within the Hatti royal court, with his
son Urhi-Teshnub succeeding him, ruling as Mursilis II. Mursilis II was usurped
by his uncle Hattusilis, a war-monger, who had designs on conquering Egypt.
2. Secondly, in year 18-19 Urhi-Teshnub sought
refuge in Egypt, where upon Hattusilis requested his deportation, which
Ramses flatly refused. Tensions ran so high, that it led the two countries to
the brink of hostilities, almost to the point of repeating Kadesh.
3. Thirdly, a new powerful nation was sweeping
across the Levant, the Assyrians. They
had already over thrown the Mitanni Empire and were now threatning to invade
Hatti. Hattusilis, an experienced
diplomat, could see the sense of forming an alliance with Egypt, as it would be
mutually beneficial for one another. In
regnal year 21 a peace treaty was agreed to, inextricably tying the two nations
to everlasting peace. This momentous occasion was sealed and inscribed on two
matching silver tablets.
THE TREATY
Twelve years after the treaty had been signed and to
prove that this was a permanent agreement, Hattusilis III sent his eldest
daughter as a bride to Ramses. She arrived "year 34, 3rd month of
winter" ( c. 1246-1245 BC) and was accepted into Ramses's harem as
Mahor-Neferure, "she is one who sees Horus, the beauty of Re".
A few years
later, year 44, another one of Hattusilis daughters was sent for Ramses to
marry, an action that can only be described as a bribe, as a means of securing
the continued allegiance between the two countries.
The Hittite
version of the treaty was erected at Hattusas, the capital of Hatti, and was
written in cuneiform, the preferred language for international diplomacy.
As a gesture of entente cordial, the queens of Hatti
and Egypt, Puduhepa and Nefertari respectively, sent one another congratulatary
gifts and letters.
Today an enlarged copy of this peace pact made of
cuneiform tablet found in Hattusas hangs
in the United Nations building in New York, demonstrating to modern statesmen
that international treaties are a
tradition going back to the earliest civilizations.
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Let's get rid of Myths & Legends about Canaanites.
Notice how the areas covering today Israel &
Lebanon have been for nearly 5 000 YEARS PART OF EGYPT...THE AREAS WERE
EGYPTIAN PROVINCES WITH EGYPTIAN GARRISONS..."THE LITERATURE OF ANCIENT
EGYPTIANS" IS FILLED WITH LETTERS FROM GOVERNORS WRITING TO WIVES OR
REPORTING TO PHARAOHS. This Hebrew Chieftains David & Solomon were in fact
no more than chieftains and their ruling lasted no more than 50 years. The
records of ancient Egypt tell that Jeroboam, the favorite of Solomon fled to
Egypt, where he remained under the protection of pharaoh Shishak until the
death of Solomon. In his war against Rehoboam, he was constantly asking the
pharaoh of Egypt for help “… to my lord,
to my king, to the sun in heaven…. I plead you …” asking the Egyptian garrisons
to help him subdue the rebellious pretender to his rule in Judea, until finally
Judah had been conquered and turned into a vassal of Egypt.
In fact, even as late as 1840, the entire areas were subject to Egypt's rule under Ibrahim Pasha (eldest son of Mohamed Ali Pasha - founder of Egypt Vice-Regal dynasty.
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P.S.
Among the many Egyptologists who studied Ancient
Egyptians records:
Erman, Adolf, a renowned German scientist,
Egyptologist and lexicographer “Ancient Egyptian Literature: A Collection of
Poems, Narratives and Manuals of Instructions from the Third and Second
Millennia BC, translated by Aylward M. Blackman, New York: Kegan Paul
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